I would like to take a moment of your time to explain the importance of top-dressing the golf course and our program that helps keep us in excellent condition. Top-dressing is a very important practice on the greens for several reasons. The first is that it helps smooth out the greens and keeps them firm. This in turn allows us to maintain faster green speeds and a more true roll. The second benefit is that it helps maintain our soil structure. As we fertilize and do all our various cultural practices on the greens, it can lead to a build-up of organic matter which can create problems with water infiltration, nutrition deficiencies, and overall poor-quality turf. The top-dressing sand is coarser than the organic matter and thus allows us to create pore space in the soil, allowing water and nutrients to move more effectively through the soil profile. So, as you can see the top-dressing sand is a vital tool in our management program to maintain a quality putting surface on the greens.
We do our very best to alternate when we top-dress. We avoid always top-dressing on the same days so we don’t constantly affect the same groups. Our program throughout season is to top-dress every other week. So, if we top-dress on a Thursday one week, the next time we top-dress may be on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Then two weeks later we will top-dress on whatever day we have not top-dressed so that no group is getting affected more than another group. We do our best to adhere to this program, but sometimes tournament schedules prevent us from being able to avoid the disruption. We ask that you are patient and understanding with us as sometimes we are unable to stay on the alternating days. However, we will strive to do our best to maintain this program. My staff and I are looking forward to another great season here at Spring Run Golf Club and hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday season.
Sincerely
Benjamin S. Hanshew
Spring Run Golf Club
Superintendent
Springing Forward 
Keep up the great work in maintaining our beautiful golf coarse. Hopefully all Spring Run members appreciate you and your staff’s dedication.
Thank you for this information.
When will you continue the renovation of the bunkers started two years ago but not yet completed? See for example the fareway bunkers of hole 8 (on the left) and hole 18 which are flooded in case of heavy rain?
Mr. Gyselinck,
We are going to continue the bunker renovations starting soon. We have scheduled and budgeted to do 7 bunkers this year. They will be holes #7, #8, #13, #18. Our hope is to have have them completed before march.
Thanks,
Benjamin S. Hanshew
Spring Run Golf Club
Superintendent
First, let me compliment y’all for your efforts. With the amount of play that they get, the greens are in great shape, even if we have to chase and chastise the rascals who don’t fix their ball marks. May they miss every putt.
I only wonder at the past warning from Cornell School of Agriculture about using only sand for top dressing? Is this something unique to Southern grasses about which I admittedly know very little.
Never mind. A casual perusal of the available online articles on the subject of compaction will make your head hurt. Greens care is best left to professionals like ours, here at Spring Run, who do a wonderful job.